Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys Chapter 1456 - 500: Fierce Battle with Seven Demon Statues

Upon hearing that voice, everyone spun around instantly to investigate the source.

Their gazes landed on a goblin's remains clad in a white lab coat, observing them from a distance of several dozen meters.

The view had been obscured previously by a dense thicket of hanging chains and suspended mechanical parts, which was why the group hadn't detected it until now.

The most startling realization, however, was not the creature's appearance, but the fact that it possessed the ability to speak.

This implied that some fragment of the entity's consciousness remained intact, despite these being ruins dating back thousands of years!

"That thing can actually talk?" Sword Saint Terrio muttered, his brow furrowing with a look of pure astonishment.

"It couldn't possibly be alive after all this time, right?"

"I thought the enemy was supposed to be under the control of those black insects?" Hernandez added, his own expression darkening with confusion.

"Is it some variation of a corpse wizard?"

In contrast to the others, Rein remained relatively composed.

Having heard Haleem mention that the eerie whispers were actually the goblin tongue, a faint suspicion had already taken root in his mind.

He suspected that the transformation of these goblins into the undead wasn't caused by an assault from an Undead Wizard or an Evil God, as they had first thought.

Instead, it was likely a self-inflicted state, adopted by the goblins as a desperate measure to combat those strange black insects!

This theory would explain the absence of ordinary citizens and the presence of only elite controllers and mechanical engineers.

While this remained a mere hypothesis without concrete evidence, Rein felt it was a plausible explanation for their current situation.

"Boom! Boom!"

Rein's train of thought was shattered by the heavy, rapid thudding of demon statue footsteps.

Two massive demon statues suddenly emerged from behind the goblin corpse, bearing a striking resemblance to the prototype Rein had encountered earlier.

However, one had replaced its three-barrel cannon arm with a pair of swords, while the other featured two massive steel fists; both moved with significantly more agility than the previous model.

These were clearly units specifically modified for close-quarters engagement.

It became evident that the Federation’s classification of the previous statue as a prototype was accurate; the two machines before them were essentially upgraded versions of that base model.

"Super Divine Cross Slash!"

As the two demon statues closed in from the front and rear, Sword Saint Terrio let out a fierce roar and immediately triggered his ultimate technique.

Rein was momentarily taken aback by this.

Starting a fight with a signature move is usually unwise, as it is standard practice to probe an unknown foe first. A veteran like Sword Saint Terrio should have known better.

Perhaps Rein didn't realize the impact his own actions had made.

His previous displays of analysis and the witchcraft that had pierced the earth had deeply impressed even epic-tier experts like Hernandez and Terrio.

Consequently, Terrio felt the need to prove his worth, lunging forward like a predatory tiger and putting everything into his opening strike.

Two immense streaks of silver sword light tore through the air in a cross formation.

The dual-sword prototype reacted with startling speed; its chest cannons, which looked like oversized Gatling guns, unleashed a hail of energy rounds while plasma emitters on its shoulders generated blue vortex shields for defense.

"Boom!"

Even so, the signature move of a Sword Saint was not so easily thwarted.

The silver cross sliced through the energy bullets and the plasma shields, finally detonating with a violent impact against the prototype's twin blades!

A brilliant shockwave of silver and blue energy erupted, washing over the area!

The dual-sword prototype was sent flying over ten meters, slamming hard into the hammer-wielding prototype behind it. Nearby, the force of the blast knocked Haleem off his feet.

Rein, however, ignored Haleem, his eyes narrowed as he focused on the scene ahead.

"Eh?"

Sword Saint Terrio's face turned grim as he whispered in disbelief.

Although the dual-sword prototype had been blown back, it had managed to cross its weapons at the final second, absorbing the remaining force of his Super Divine Cross Slash.

This meant his high-effort signature move had achieved nothing more than a loud explosion and some knockback, failing to inflict any real damage.

Sure enough, the hammer prototype steadied its companion, and both machines resumed their charge toward Rein's party.

Suddenly, Rein spotted an even more concerning development out of the corner of his eye!

The goblin corpse in the lab coat had rushed over to another dormant demon statue lying on the floor, placing its hand upon the machine's head.

A surge of green energy flowed from its palm into the deactivated prototype.

"Rise... eliminate... the intruders!" the creature rasped, its voice sounding like a child struggling to form words.

"Squeak!"

The dark-gray demon statue, equipped with a massive metal shield and sword, sat up abruptly before standing to its full height.

This was yet another prototype.

The others followed Rein's gaze, and upon seeing the goblin's work, Haleem cried out in terror: "There are three of them!"

At that moment, the faces of everyone except Rein turned pale with dread!